


Appreciation, Admiration And Love

by Ohlookitstomorrow



Series: TWW Winter Fluff Event [6]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Prompt - Gifts, Prompt Fill, The significance of Hecate's watch..., Written for WW2018WinterFluffEvent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 16:59:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16896471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohlookitstomorrow/pseuds/Ohlookitstomorrow
Summary: Hecate has never had the reason to give another a gift. But Yuletide, as Pippa tells her, presents an opportunity for one to show appreciation, admiration and love.





	Appreciation, Admiration And Love

As a young girl of six, Hecate Hardbroom had been given her first Yuletide gift. An ancient, leather-bound tome of potion making, that had been passed through her family for several generations. 

 

Her Father may as well have passed his only child a boulder, for this book held the metaphorical weight of one. As a Hardbroom, Hecate was not allowed to fail, and brewing the perfect potion was so quintessential in witchcraft, the young girl would have to become the best, and definitely nothing less. 

 

Although it was a reminder of her Father’s standards, and the discipline she would face, were she to break them, Hecate treasured the manual with only her most prized possessions. 

 

At thirteen years old, her Father’s potion book currently resided in a locked chest, enclosed within the sparse wardrobe of her dorm-room. The only other item sat beside it, was a portrait of her Mother, the very image of herself, taken the year before she passed. 

 

Hecate was but a girl of five when she laid a hand atop the cold skin of her Mother’s. Aside the coffin, Hecate Hardbroom did not cry as she said her final, wordless goodbyes, her Father’s grip never leaving her shoulder. 

 

Now, in her third year of school, the best student Amulet’s Academy had seen for decades, and already a talented potion-maker, Hecate found herself worrying what to gift another, for the very first time. 

 

It had been an embarrassing situation the year prior, when Pippa Pentangle, the most revered girl in school, (and apparently, Hecate’s friend) had presented the tall, gangly girl with a beautiful, raven-feather quill. Hecate had nothing to repay the sentiment, but the other girl had just laughed her off. ‘One doesn’t give to receive, Hiccup. One gives to show their appreciation, admiration, and love.’ 

 

This year Hecate would be prepared. Her allowance was meagre, so buying something attributable to Pippa’s value to her, was out of the question. It would have to be something made from Hecate’s own hands, and so, she’d been working on it nightly since All Hallows Eve. 

 

It had proved rather difficult, coming up with the ideal present to give her friend. Pippa was her polar opposite, the star to her sky. The fact that, out of all the girls in their year, Pippa had chosen to offer Hecate her friendship, that was something that perplexed Hecate to no end. 

 

Pippa was the first person to enter her life who truly cared for her thoughts, feelings, and everything in between. Pippa’s gift of friendship and companionship was the greatest gift Hecate could ever have hoped to receive, and it was not something she knew how to replicate in significance. 

 

When the time came for students to return to their families for the winter break, the austere, dark figure of Hecate lurked in the shadows, hoping to be swallowed by them and not be forced to leave. Of course, it was only the sight of Pippa that drew her out. 

 

The blonde handed her a rectangular box of red and gold, making Hecate promise not to open it until the twenty-fifth. It was with reluctance Hecate exchanged the perfectly wrapped parcel for her own effort, decked in brown paper and tied with string. 

 

Hazel eyes lit with glee, and suddenly Hecate found herself surprised by a warm embrace. 

 

Hecate could have sworn she’d heard a whispered, ‘I’ll miss you’, as Pippa departed on her broom. They were words Hecate wished she could say, but fear, her constant companion, would not allow anything more than ‘goodbye’ 

 

xxx 

 

Hecate had barely risen, when a snowy owl swept through her window, it literally flew right through, as if the glass were a mere illusion, giving Hecate the fright of her life - she almost squealed! Only someone like Pippa could keep an owl as a familiar. 

 

Once she took the letter from him, the owl thanked her with a peck to her knuckles, and disappeared. Re-comforting herself on the bed, Hecate began to read. 

 

Dearest Hiccup,   
I couldn’t wait until morning, so I had to open your present at quarter-past twelve, last night. However, we only agreed to wait until the 25th, and I don’t recall either of us mentioning a specific time...but after midnight still counts as me keeping to our pact. 

 

My jewellery box is beautiful! Thank you so much, Hiccup, you don’t know how much this means. To know you spent so many hours, crafting this just for me...I must admit, you’ve made me feel special. You’ll be proud when you hear I stayed up an hour afterward, translating the runes you carved. 

 

Inside you’ll find no mirror   
For beauty lies within   
All one need do is search   
And look beneath the skin 

 

I’ll never be able to tell you how I felt, reading those words. Do you think of me that way, Hecate? Do you see more than a facade? Do you think my soul holds beauty? 

 

I know I think of you that way... You may try and show the world a mask of indifference, but you are so much more, so full of beauty, inside and out. 

 

I must stop here, I managed to sneak upstairs and write you quickly, but I can hear my Mother shouting for me now. Don’t think this is the last you’ll hear from me today, and I do expect a reply, write one on your maglet if you have to. But do open your present first...and pay close attention to the time. 

 

Love   
Pippa xx 

 

  
Hecate’s heart, hammered beneath the cage of her rib. She had not meant for Pippa to understand the runes! It was true, Hecate saw Pippa’s internal beauty, as well as the external, but that was something she could never verbalize. That was why she’d carved those runes, at least then, Pippa would always have Hecate’s feelings from within, and Hecate would still be able to cling to their reigns. 

 

But Pippa thought her beautiful too! In all the self-descriptive words, Hecate had thrown inside her head, beautiful, or any incantation of the word, had never come up. Not even once. 

 

Hecate both envied, and feared, her friend’s ease with candid revelations. She envied the ability, as it was a talent she did not possess, to keep one’s emotions well and truly hidden, had been something instilled in her so young that it was likely to last a lifetime. She feared Pippa’s truth, as it was one of the few things that held the power to break her... 

 

In no fit state to send Pippa an immediate reply, Hecate unwrapped Pippa’s gift with shaking hands. 

 

The sleek, black box within, was lined with red tissue paper, protecting its contents. A small, golden envelope lay on top. 

 

To Hecate, my dearest friend,   
Yuletide is a special time of year, a season for us to share appreciation, admiration and love. This time, like all time, is precious, and that is why I have gotten you something which will make my appreciation, admiration and love for you, hard to forget. 

 

I found an intriguing pocket watch in an antique store, it was pretty battered and broken, but it enchanted me. Fixing it required skill I did not possess, but luckily my Grandfather has a knack for these things, and he instructed me. 

 

Inside the face, you’ll see our names written in silver, names which only we will ever speak: Hiccup and Pipsqeak. That way, we’ll always be together! 

 

A protective charm of my own division protects the watch, meaning my magic will be with you wherever you go, and I do hope it keeps you safe. 

 

I thought a pocket watch a little old-fashioned, even for you, so I’ve attached it to a silver chain for you to wear. 

 

I hope it is light and will not wear you down, for it is full of my appreciation, admiration and love, and I can assure you; there is nothing greater! 

 

Keep an eye on the time and wait by your mirror at seven this evening, I’ll call you and together we can celebrate Yule. 

 

Love   
Pipsqueak xx 

 

P.S next year, I do intend for us to be together, my parents would love to have you stay with us. I can annoy you ceaselessly for two, whole weeks! 

 

  
As she placed the chain over her head, Hecate felt the warmth of Pippa’s magic soothe and calm her. 

 

For the rest of her life, there it stayed, her watch, unlike her Father’s standards, was never a mill-stone around Hecate’s neck.

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wanted to explore the significance of Hecate's watch, and I hope i've done it some sort of justice. 
> 
> Good news, i'm almost caught up on my prompt fills, and that means I can give more attention to a rather long fic i'm working on...not that you care for any of this information, I just hate leaving the notes section blank. Sorry.
> 
> You can follow me on Tumblr @ohlookitstomorrowff and on instagram @ohlookitstomorrow
> 
> Catch:)


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